Page 8 of Ruarc
“Oh, you believe me now. What caused the sudden change of hearts?” When he starts to reply, I hold my hand up, stopping him. “Never mind, it does not matter. I was not part of the council. That was my choice, not theirs, so I really do not know where they may have gone. You said you saw drag marks. Can you take me to them?”
I walk out of what had been my home for several orbital rotations and step onto the disk before Ruarc can grab me, only to close my eyes in pain when his large arm wraps around me, gently pulling me back against him.
I think I would rather be back in the labs on Viri 9 under the watchful gaze of the Aynar than stand here willingly, as this torture is much worse. The disk effortlessly picks us both up, and Ruarc quickly heads toward the outer field where the bugs had grabbed me and the others.
As soon as we reach the edge of the field, I signal him to land so I can walk around. The ground is so mangled that it takes me a few moments to finally see what Ruarc and his brothers had. There seem to be several drag marks off to the side, but not all of them end in the area that looks like a starship had landed.
“Look Ruarc, some got away. The Velgriddix are strong, but their limbs are not built for heavy hauling, which is why they were dragging us. It seems something caused them to drop the ones on this side. It is possible that the three of us were the only ones they managed to get successfully onto their ship. There must be more signs around here somewhere showing where the survivors went.”
I see him hit his comm unit. “Slavic, can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear Ruarc, what have you found?”
“The Velgriddix were unable to obtain all that were in the settlement. Something or someone was able to stop them, so keep your eyes open and alert. Kallen just informed me that several of the females took on the role of scouts and they will not know if we are friend or foe at first. We will catch up to you all shortly.”
“Be safe.” That is all Slavic says before the comm cuts off, but I can hear the sudden hope in his voice.
CHAPTER 5
RUARC
Holding her this close to me is a pleasure and torture all at the same time. I do not want her, or that is what I tell myself every time I catch myself leaning down to sniff her hair. This mate collar feels heavy against my neck and is slowly strangling me. Unlike Einar and Slavic’s marking, mine has not moved down my body to mark my chest or back. The collar sits upon my neck and shoulders like a boulder weighing me down.
When she extracted her sire’s signet ring from that wall, I barely stopped myself from falling to my knees, begging her to forgive me and all my doubts. No one must tell me I am an idiot; I am fully aware of the mess I have put myself in. However, even though I have been having moments of weakness, I refuse to acknowledge this bond. The pain I am experiencing now is mild compared to what it would be if she decided to break a sealed mate bond. I have seen strong warriors fade away like dust in the wind when they lost their mates. I will not allow myself to become that vulnerable to anyone or anything. My life is controlled by me, not by the gods who abandoned my family or a female with tortured amber eyes.
No matter what she says, she would not have accepted me on Viri 9 or our home planet, Uzrul. What would a princess do with a peasant, anyway? Hide me in the cellar or a closet when dignitaries come to visit. If she ever allowed herself to lie with me after the bond was solidified, would she have been ashamed of our children? No, I know I am right. Even though this may affect us for a short time, once we separate for a little while, the collars will fade, and neither of us should be troubled by mate sickness. We are of the same race, and as far as I know, neither of us has been altered by the Aynar, so in time this bond will fade on its own.
I watch her walk around the field, grabbing the ripe berries off the vines, eating them quickly as she passes. Although half the size she should be, and clearly malnourished, Kallen has never asked for anything extra.
I hang my head in shame. Of course she would not ask. If I have heard nothing else this entire time, it is that she does not see herself as worthy. As her mate, I should have provided better for her instead of running because this is not what I wanted. If I had done my duty she would be stronger right now; instead, a stiff wind could blow her away.
Growling, I grab my head. ‘Stop this…’ I practically yell at myself.Kallen is not your mate!She is a grown female who has been through a terrible ordeal, but she is not yours to take care of. The only reason you are so drawn to her is because of this frackin mate collar. Then my mind whispers, ‘If that is the case, why as a youngling did you stand on the wall above the settlement trying to get a glimpse of her when you knew her family was out among our people? Why did you follow her actions on the local holo comms? Your eyes have always soughther out. You are a fool.’A voice calling my name snaps me out of my thoughts.
“Ruarc, Ruarc, are you alright?”
“Yes, sorry. I was lost in the past there for a moment. Are you done here? We need to catch up with Slavic before darkness falls.”
Kallen does not say anything else, but I can see the worry and fatigue all over her face as she walks toward me. Stepping up on the disk my arms reach for her once again, and for a moment, I allow myself to enjoy the feel of her in my arms before I activate the device.
I do not rush to the location my comm unit is showing for Slavic and his mate. I take my time looking around at the planet that protected my people while we were trapsing across the stars, searching for the next heist or something to steal to survive. The woodlands before us harbor giant, dark-skinned trees with large canopies that oddly do not touch. It is like they each have their own space to grow in. The grasses are tall, yet soft to the touch with red feathery plants growing between boulders that look like they have been randomly placed. Kallen stands between my feet stiffly but trembling slightly. Her strength and determination to survive are humbling, especially with all that she has been through. The fact that she is not comforted in my arms bothers me more than I want to admit, and it seems as if my mind and heart are once again in a battle, and before I realize it, my thoughts are rolling out of my mouth.
“When we came down last rising, we were so focused on what we were not finding that we did not even stop to realize we were planetside. It has been lunar rotations since I stepped foot on solid ground. Several times already, I have felt clumsy, asif my legs were having a hard time adjusting to the planet’s gravitational pull. Deapra is quite lovely. I do not believe I have ever seen ground coverings or wooded areas in this green color, nor a sky that changes colors the way this one does.” I feel her sigh wearily, but my words do exactly what I wanted them to do. She relaxes back against me slightly as my hands rest upon her hips to keep her steady as we continue to move forward through the surrounding wilderness.
“When the darkness forms fully, the tree canopies collapse, tucking their branches tightly against their large trunks. The dirt below our feet also transforms into what Edie calls ‘mushrooms’. The spores they let off dance in the air, catching the light off the moons above, making them look like little sparks frolicking in the air all around us.”
“Are there any predators I need to be concerned about?”
“There are a few Uana’s in the area, but that is the only thing I have seen. Some of the scouts have reported herbivores grazing next to the mountains, but I have never ventured that far. The planet does not seem to support much wildlife, but I believe that is because it is technically still terraforming. You will see signs of that this darkness. We do not know who originally seeded the planet for possible future use. However, the lake over that rise is what sustained us in the beginning before we were able to get the fields planted. It is rich in aquatic life, crustaceans, and tubers that flourish in its salty waters.”
“Then why the need for scouts?”
“Your mam … she taught us never to let our guard down. We knew the Aynar would always be hunting for us, and there are only so many planets behind the veil on which to hide. We were all terrified when the cargo ship crashed here with almosteveryone on edge, convinced that they would find us within the rising. Anything we could use as a weapon, we gathered and watched the skies. All of us were willing to die before being retaken. As rotation after rotation passed without any sign of them or anyone else, we held a meeting and decided to see this as a new beginning, a blessing from the Gods. So, we started rebuilding.
But without your mam’s guidance, I have no idea what would have happened to us. I think the fact that we all needed her helped push her through the loss of your sire, and I am sure Atasha’s birth and consequent needs took place over her own.”
“I cannot believe I have a sister out there somewhere. Does she know of us?”
“Absolutely, your mam speaks of you all regularly. But I have seen her spend many a darkness sitting next to the falls, staring up at the sky. Even though she never confided in me, I think she knew you would all come one rising.”
